US firm seeks 'immediate' recovery of famed British warship

The US firm which announced discovery of one of the greatest British warships ever lost at sea said Monday it was seeking "immediate" permission to begin recovering artifacts to prevent further damage from trawler fishing and erosion.

Florida-based Odyssey Marine Exploration said it discovered the final resting place of the HMS Victory last year in the English Channel and notified the British Ministry of Defense as soon as the team concluded it was the man-of-war which sank in a storm in 1744 with a crew of 1,150.

The exploration company said it was negotiating a collaboration agreement with the British government, which claims sovereignty over the ship thought to have been the most impressive war vessel of its time.